USC Men’s Basketball Unveils Surprise 2025-2026 Season Opener—Why Cal Poly at Galen Center Is Raising Eyebrows

As the autumn leaves start to fall and the gridiron battles prepare to ignite, another thrilling season is quietly gearing up — USC men’s basketball is set to tip off their 2025 campaign sooner than you might think. Just last Friday, buzz surfaced about the Trojans’ season opener as they get ready to host Cal Poly from the Big West at the Galen Center come November 3. Now, if you’re as eager as I am, that’s a storyline worth keeping an eye on. This news, delivered by college basketball savant Rocco Miller, doesn’t come alone either; it turns out USC is also on the brink of locking in Illinois State for a matchup at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome just days later. With Eric Musselman stepping into his sophomore year as head coach, there’s a tangible sense of urgency hovering over this team — last season’s stumbles left a bad taste, and November’s performance could make or break their NCAA Tournament prospects. This is more than just basketball; it’s a proving ground for the Trojans’ revival. For those obsessed with the pulse of college hoops, this is the prelude you’ve been waiting for. LEARN MORE

Friday afternoon, college basketball analyst Rocco Miller reported that the Trojans will host Big West foe Cal Poly at Galen Center on November 3. The game will be the season opener for both teams.USC is entering Year 2 under head coach Eric Musselman. After an underwhelming 2024-2025 season, the Trojans will be looking to level up and return to NCAA Tournament contention in 2025-2026. They need to have a month of November which is much more successful than what they produced last year. USC stumbled out of the gate last season and reduced its NCAA Tournament margin for error. That can’t happen this coming November.This is the second nonconference matchup of USC’s that Miller has reported in the past week. Recently, he revealed that the Trojans are finalizing an agreement to face Illinois State at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on November 14.

While the start of the 2025 college football season is just around the corner, college basketball is not all that far away, either. On Friday, details were reported regarding USC men’s basketball’s first game of the year.